A great monarch could have died because of a tiny bacteria: scientists have examined the remains of Louis IX

The University of Paris-Saclay has taken an interest in the cause of death of a medieval monarch. French King Louis the Saint died unexpectedly, in the midst of the eighth Crusader campaign in 1270.

Ludovic’s remains have been preserved to this day. Researchers used radiocarbon dating, electron and optical microscopy, elemental, molecular and other analyses, using a 4.3-gram sample of tissue.

Elemental and palynological analyses confirmed that the king’s body had been embalmed. At the time of his death, the monarch did not suffer from infectious diseases: the sample showed no signs of plague, amoebiasis, shigellosis, typhoid fever.